Trousers-stretcher.



I. B. MAGOMBERP TROUSERS STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 23.1909.

973,443, Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC B. MACOMBER, OF PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND.

TROUSERS-STRETOHEB.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ISAAC B. MAooMBnR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Newport and State of RhodeIsland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trousers-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trousers stretchers andpertains more particularly to an improvement in that type of stretchersadapted to be inserted into the legs of trousers, as disclosed in myPatent No. 855,7 94, granted June 4, 1907.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction bysimplifying same and reducing the number of parts required withoutimpairing the efficiency of the stretchers.

Further and other objects of the invention will be later hereinmanifested and set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters ofreference designate similar parts throughout the several views, Figure 1is a front elevation of the trousers stretchers showing the same inexpanded position, Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section taken on theline 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the partsin contracted position ready for insertion into the legs of thetrousers, Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1,and Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the hinge connection between thetwo side members of each stretcher.

In the drawings a a designate generally the two side members of whicheach stretcher is composed, each member consist ing of a substantiallybow-shaped bar 1 preferably formed of a bar of metal having theirout-turned extremities bifurcated to receive the thin, flexible metalcreasing bars 2, the latter being substantially straight throughouttheir length, and being secured in the bifurcated ends by means of smallpins or rivets 3. For the purpose of bracing the creasing bars 2, and toassist the same in holding the creased portion of the trousers legs in astretched state, there are provided members 4 which consist of a stripof metal which is bent to embrace the bars 2 at an intermediate portion(Fig. 4), the ends of the strip being extended in abutting relation andadjacent their extremities or free ends being slightly off-set so as toprovide a space Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 23, 1909.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 534,707.

in which the creasing bars 2 are received. Rivets 5 are employed tomaintain the sides of the bracing members 4 in their positionillustrated in Fig. 4. As the bracing members 4 are disposed central ofthe length of the creasing bars 2 it will be observed that they thusafford a substantial bracing point for the bars 2 maintaining the latterrigid and against lateral movement in the position depicted in Fig. 1.

The means for expanding the two side members a consist of a pair of arms(3, each having a long leg 7, and a short leg 8, the latter beingarranged at an obtuse angle to the former and having their freeextremities curved inwardly as shown at 9. The free ends of the legs 7are pivoted to central points along the length of the bow-shapedsupporting bars 1, by means of U-shaped clips 10 suitably supported onthe bars 1, and pins 11 which extend through the free ends of legs 7 andthe two sides of the clips 10, the free ends of legs 7 being received inthe space between the two sides of the clips 10. The two arms 6 arepivoted together by means of the connection shown in Fig. 5, whichconnection consists of two substantially U-shaped members 12 whichembrace the arms 6 at the inner ends of the legs 7 and 8 thereof asillustrated in Fig. 1. Each of the members 12 have their inner or freeends off-set and in engagement, a pin 13 being passed through such endsso as to provide a hinge connection in an obvious manner. The means foroperating the arms 6 from collapsed position to extended position andvice versa consists of a guide member 14 which 'is freely slidable alongthe length of the legs 8 of the arms 6. The guide member 14 ispreferably constructed of a piece of metal which completely incloses thelegs 8 and which is conveniently operated by a bail member 15, whichlatter consists of a hand engaging loop 16, the free ends of which areturned at right angles as shown in Fig. 2 and passed through pointsintermediate the length of the guide member 14, the extremities of theends of loop 16 being headed as shown at 17. By reference to Fig. 1 itwill be observed that when the parts are in extended position the rightangular ends of loop 16 will engage with the inner side faces of theinwardly curved extremities 9 of the legs 8 of arms 6 and will therebyrestrict the movement of the guide member with respect to the legs 8,preventing disengagement of the parts in an obvious manner. The bars 1are also provided with the clips 18 by means of which the bottom of thetrousers legs are secured to the side member a.

In the operation of stretching and creasing trousers two stretchers areused, one for each leg, each stretcher being contracted into theposition shown in Fig. 3 by moving the guide member 14 inwardly, afterwhich the stretchers are inserted into the legs of the trousers. Theclips 18 are then turned down on the material of the trousers legs toclamp them to the side member a. The stretcher is then expanded bymoving the guide member 1 1 outwardly causing the creasing bars 2 to beplaced under the re quired tension effecting proper creasing of thetrousers legs.

It will be seen from the above that the entire structure can be made ofmetal, and being so constructed is light in weight, serviceable, andeflicient in operation and can be easily applied or removed with respectto the legs of the trousers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A trousers stretcher comprising side members, apair of arms having long legs and short legs, the legs of each arm beingarranged at an angle and being disposed so that the points of juncturebetween the long and short legs of each arm are opposite each other, aU-shaped member secured to each arm at said points of juncture betweenthe long and short legs thereof, the free ends of each U member beingdisposed in engagement with each other, a pivot pin passing through saidcontacting free ends of said U members, and means to operate the shortlegs.

2. A trousers stretcher comprising two side members and means forexpanding and contracting said side members, said means comprising apair of arms having long legs and short legs, the latter being arrangedat an obtuse angle to the long legs, means for pivoting the outer endsof the long legs to the side members substantially central of the lengththereof, means for pivoting said arms together at the point of juncturebetween the long legs and the short legs, and a guide member slidablyembracing the short legs and adapted to expand and contract said arms.

3. A trousers stretcher comprising side members, each member consistingof a supporting bar of bow shape and a thin flexible metal creasing barsecured to the ends of the supporting bar, means for rigidly bracing thecreasing bar at a central point consisting of a strip of metal bentcentrally of its length to embrace the supporting bar on all four sidesof the latter, and having its free ends in abutting relation, theextremities of said free ends being off-set so as to form a space inwhich the creasing bar engages, and means for securing the ends of thesaid strip of metal together.

4. A trousers stretcher comprising side members, a pair of arms havinglong legs and short legs, the legs of each arm being arranged at anangle, means for pivotally relating said arms, means for pivoting thefree ends of the long legs to the side members, the free ends of theshort legs-being curved inwardly toward each other, a guide memberslidably embracing the short legs, and means carried by the guide memberto engage said curved end of the short legs to restrict the outwardmovement of the guide member.

5. A trousers stretcher comprising two side members, means for expandingand contracting the side members comprising a pair of pivotally relatedarms having their inner ends pivoted to the side members and havingtheir outer ends divergently related, a guide member slidably embracingsaid divergent outer ends of said pair of arms, the free extremities ofthe divergent outer ends of said pairs of arms extending inwardly towardeach other, and a hand engaging loop for operating the guide memberhaving its ends turned at right angles thereto and passed through theguide members so as to engage the inwardly extending free extremities ofthe divergent outer ends of said pair of arms to prevent the guidemember from -leaving the arms.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC B. MACOMBER.

Witnesses:

ADA E. HAGERTY, J. A. MILLER.

